What You Could Learn From A Hobbit

I was watching “Lord of the Rings” last week, and even though I’ve never really been into Tolkien, it got me thinking of how a small hobbit could change the destiny of an entire world:

He carries a small ring that turns out to be this enormous burden, and with the help of some friends and a whole lot of courage he makes the impossible happen.

I just love a true underdog story and it also reminded me of something one of my favorite writers, Joseph Campbell, lectures about.

As an expert in mythology, he talks quite a bit about the hero figure and how that translates into your everyday life. He also talks about something he calls “the soul’s high adventure”, when you suddenly hear a voice that seems to come straight from your heart.

It’s calling you to do something that is pretty scary or challenging, something that will change your life or the world around you forever. Does any of this sound familiar? You might be thinking that it doesn’t apply to you, but if you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to be more fit and eat better, then you’ve already begun the journey.

Find Your Inner Hobbit

As soon as Frodo realizes that he is the only one who has a chance of destroying the ring in “The Fellowship of the Ring”, as improbable as that might be, he makes a declaration to break off from his protectors. He knows it’s going to be a hard road, but this little guy is tough and he’s doing it to protect his home and all the people he loves. So once you’ve made your declaration, return back to it in your mind and repeat it often, just like Frodo does when things get rough. He visualizes his home, his friends, even imagines their laughter. You can imagine reaching your health goal, how you will look and feel, as a comforting reconfirmation when you feel like giving up.

Watch Out For Gollum – Avoid Energy Zappers

If you’ve seen the scene in the movie, “The Two Towers” where the villainous Gollum tags along with our hero and his friend, the traveling gets quite a bit harder. It seems like he’s there to help, but he ends up sabotaging most of their efforts. This is true when it comes to certain types of foods, things that you eat or drink that tend to make you feel tired and drained.

Skip dessert tonight if you’re completely full. You don’t have to eat those last couple of bites on your plate just because you don’t want to waste them, just pack it up as a snack for the following day. Will power can wane when you’re tired and drained, so keep your energy level on your “health” adventure and spirits high.

Call for Reinforcements

In “Return of the King”, our hero, the great human warrior Aragorn draws the Orc forces out of Mordor so that our hero Frodo can have safe passage to dispose of the ring and achieve his final goal. Just as Aragorn comes in the nick of time to aid our hero on his path, try to identify someone who you can reach out to for aid, advice, or even a few words of inspiration when you’re about to completely give up.

Even those of us who already live a healthy life, need help once in a while. I turn to my “health” fairy godmother, Joy Bauer, when I need some inspiration. Just reading her blogs books are enough to give me a little boost back on the right path.